Golan Vows Street and Knesset Fight Against Ben-Gvir's Party

Yair Golan, chairman of the Democratic Party, has sharply criticized National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and his Otzma Yehudit party, following the Central Elections Committee's rejection of his party's request to disqualify Ben-Gvir's faction from running in the elections. Golan asserted that the committee's decision was made by a majority politically aligned with the Likud party and its partners.

Golan accused Ben-Gvir and his party of representing a "Kahanist and racist ideology," citing Ben-Gvir's past convictions for incitement to racism and support for a terror organization. He claimed Otzma Yehudit actively opposes Arabs, LGBTQ+ individuals, and the judicial system, labeling the party a "danger to Israeli democracy." Golan vowed to fight them in court, in the Knesset, and "in the street," and at the ballot box on October 27 if necessary.

Furthermore, Golan criticized Ben-Gvir's performance as National Security Minister, stating that during his tenure, "citizen security has become abandoned," referencing numerous murders within the Arab community. He also accused Ben-Gvir of damaging the police force by using it for political purposes and of "giving encouragement to Jewish terrorism" in the West Bank.

Golan announced that if the Democratic Party joins the next government, he intends to work to remove Ben-Gvir from the National Security Ministry and to exclude Otzma Yehudit from the government entirely. He pledged to "return the police to their role: to protect citizens. All citizens. Jews and Arabs."